written communication 2018-2019 docente: ann henshall

Written Communication 2018-2019

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Docente: Ann Henshall Gabinete: 101 Quelhas 4 Contacto: [email protected]

Carga horária: 1 x 2h / semana Horário: 3ª feira, 10h – 12h Data de início: 16 de Outubro de 2018 Data de fim: 27 de Novembro de 2018 Não haverá aula durante a semana dos testes intercalares.

Início Este módulo é destinado aos alunos que querem melhorar os seus conhecimentos do funcionamento da escrita em inglês e de algumas características dela. É suposto ter alguns conhecimentos de inglês (B1 Quadro Comum Europeu).

Objetivos gerais: Desenvolver a consciência linguística da escrita em inglês; Fornecer técnicas e exercícios práticos para que os alunos melhorarem a competência comunicativa da escrita em inglês; Dar a conhecer as características de textos padrão.

Resultados de aprendizagem Perceber as relações entre o contexto socio-cultural de um texto escrito, o género do texto e os recursos léxico-gramaticais do Inglês; Produzir textos curtos e coerentes em Inglês.

Linhas programáticas

1. Theoretical underpinnings 2. Word language tools 3. Common mistakes by Portuguese speakers 4. Principles of text organisation

a. Paragraph development b. Thematic progression c. Cohesive devices

5. Register (tenor & mode) a. Caraterísticas de um texto formal b. Making the subjective sound objective

6. Academic writing a. Paraphrasing & summarizing b. Written answers in tests and exams c. Essays and assignments d. Dissertations & theses

7. Writing in the workplace a. Correspondence b. Paper vs email c. Reports.

Método de avaliação

Para ter aproveitamento o aluno deve assistir a sessão plenária destinada ao módulo de Written Communication (31 de Outubro) e pelo menos 80% das aulas.

A nota é baseada nos seguintes elementos: Informação recolhida nas aulas; Exercícios escritas (em casa). Os trabalhos de casa devem ser entregues atempadamente.

Bibliografia

Os materiais encontram-se disponíveis no Aquila.

mailto:[email protected]


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1. Enquadramento teórico

a. O contexto sociocultural da escrita (ver ppt)

2. Ferramentas de correcção linguística no Word

3. Erros comuns de falantes portugueses (ver ppt)

Amigos falsos ou armadilhas

Exercise 3.1

Translate these sentences from Público into English.

a. O resumo do artigo não deve ultrapassar 300 palavras. b. Há actualmente 1.194 mil beneficiárias de pensões mínimas. c. O comissário europeu Günther Oettinger afastou o cenário de novo resgate,

mas avisou que os Estados-Membros devem manter-se sob o "chapéu" das instituições europeias.

d. Os bancos a operar em Portugal vão enviar à AT informação sobre os saldos bancários e informações de aplicações financeiras detidas por cidadãos americanos residentes em Portugal.

e. Finalmente, no ano passado, a Gaivota Azul sofre nova apreciação significativa, valendo agora, para a Autoridade Tributária, mais de 392 mil euros.

f. Ant Hampton recorda-se de uma certa noite, passada num hotel, em que ligou a televisão e assistiu “a um daqueles documentários sensacionalistas do History Channel ou do National Geographic”.

g. Relativamente à Caixa Geral de Depósitos, o Estado assumiu no programa de recapitalização à resolução desse problema.

h. O próximo compromisso do Sporting, a visita ao Famalicão na terceira eliminatória da Taça de Portugal, está marcada para o fim-de-semana de 15 e 16 de Outubro.

i. A Suíça colocava os portugueses na lista de trabalhadores de “áreas distantes”, demasiado diferentes para se habituarem aos seus usos e costumes.

j. Quando Márcio entrou no 7º ano, Alda inscreveu-se no centro de emprego. k. “Estou certo que ficaríamos melhor servidos (com a eleição de António Guterres), e

não teríamos este prejuízo, que já começa a ser visível num momento crucial da União.”

l. A campanha, que é global, pretende ainda recentrar a discussão, pondo em perspectiva os números europeus.

m. No início dos anos 90, Yoshinori Ohsumi realizou uma série de experiências com leveduras do vulgar fermento do padeiro.

n. “Acredito que não seja possível, na prática, tratar o petróleo como uma indústria qualquer, até por questões geoestratégicas sensíveis associadas.”

o. Oficialmente a taxa ronda os 11%, em linha com a média nacional. p. O responsável governamental insistiu que não se trata de uma subida das taxas do

imposto, mas sim de assegurar o adiantamento da colecta e defendeu que "não vai prejudicar substancialmente a actividade económica".

q. Ultimamente, o FMI defendeu que, para colocar as economias a crescer mais, os governos têm de insistir nas reformas estruturais.

r. Uma vez que a medida apenas foi anunciada pelo Governo na quinta-feira, as contas do Banco de Portugal não levam em consideração os eventuais efeitos positivos no défice que o novo programa de regularização extraordinária de dívidas fiscais e contributivas pode vir a ter.

s. “O custo de uma chamada local na rede fixa PT, com duração de três minutos, em horário económico [das 21h00 às 09h00] é até 15 vezes mais barato do que uma chamada entre duas redes móveis diferentes."


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t. “É verdade que algum descontentamento assenta em preocupações legítimas com o desenvolvimento económico”, concede Obama.

Para mais exemplos consulte:

http://web.letras.up.pt/egalvao/5543219-False-Friends-English-and-Portuguese.pdf

Dicionários online com exemplos em contexto

http://pt.bab.la/

www.linguee.com

http://web.letras.up.pt/egalvao/5543219-False-Friends-English-and-Portuguese.pdf

http://pt.bab.la/

http://pt.bab.la/

http://www.linguee.com/


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4. Princípios de organização textual

a. Estrutura e métodos de desenvolvimento

The paragraph Definition A group of related sentences that develop ONE main idea Structure Topic sentence

Purpose: to introduce the main idea of the paragraph and locate the paragraph in the overall text Means: often includes a general noun or an abstract noun

1. General noun Organising around class, concepts, components or parts

e.g. systems; elements; variables; features; factors 2. Abstract nouns

Technical terms & specific concepts e.g. demand and supply; erosion; ill health in remote areas

Reference noun Encoding a point of view:

e.g. one problem; issues, solution, argument, perspective, benefit

Organising around cause and effect relationships e.g. three main reasons; influences; implications

Referring to ways or strategies e.g. approaches; strategies; processes; steps

Identifying similarities and differences e.g. diversity, similarity

Supporting sentences Purpose

to elaborate the main idea Means

1. Explaining and predicting consequences using one or more cause and effect sequences or explaining sequences

2. Giving examples 3. Describing how things are – aspects, features, characteristics 4. Reporting results of an investigation 5. Recording change over time 6. Using a combination of 1-5

Concluding sentence (not always present) Purpose: to bring together the supporting information and present it with a new perspective Means: often includes abstract (e.g. reference) noun that characterises the support

e.g. advantages; problems; paradox


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Exercise 4.1.

Underline the nominal group with the general or abstract noun if there is one in the

topic sentence. Identify the type of elaboration in the supporting sentences.

a. The economic benefits of the timber industry are another argument for logging. Forest

industries claim that they employ 300,000 people and have contributed about $327

million a year to the economy. Without these industries many people would lose their

jobs and the economy of the country would suffer greatly.

b. The first and most obvious influence of women was on the social welfare of the

colonies. Caroline Chisholm is an example of a woman who worked tirelessly to

improve conditions for women. In the early 1900s women were greatly outnumbered

by men. As a result many unmarried women from England were given financial

incentives to immigrate. However, little thought was given to what to do with them

once they arrived. Consequently many suffered homelessness and unemployment.

Caroline Chisholm found jobs for female passengers, set up an immigrants’ home and

lobbied governments. This led to more provisions being provided for the care and

settlement of these women.

c. During 1903 and 1904, a series of failed diplomatic moves led to Japan breaking off

diplomatic relations soon after war broke out. In April 1904, Russia was defeated at

the Yalu River, and in January 1905, Port Arthur fell. Then in May, Russia’s Baltic fleet

was annihilated at Tsushima. Following this, Japan replaced Russia as the dominant

power in southern Manchuria and received enormous prestige from the victory.

d. Portugal is a major cork-grower; in fact, nearly one-third of the total cork oak area,

estimated at 2,150,000 hectares (5.3 million acres) is in Portugal, which produces

approximately half the cork harvested annually in the world (about 310,000 tons). Cork

oak stands extend throughout the country although the intensity of production and

quality of the cork vary in the different producing zones. The species, which covers

approximately 8 percent of the total area of Portugal and constitutes 28 percent of its

forests, grows best in the central and southern parts of the country where the largest

stands supplying the greatest percentage of high-grade cork are to be found.

e. The rise in the number of tourists visiting Lisbon as well as in the number of nights

being spent in the capital have contributed towards an almost continuous ten-year

increase in revenue for the city’s hotels. Figures from the National Statistics Institute

(INE) show that last year, revenue raised through tourism was of €586.958.367, an 8.3

percent growth on results from 2012. In 2004 revenue was of €517.455.053. One main

contributing factor to the growth in the number of tourists visiting Lisbon is believed

to be the growth in the number of passengers arriving on international flights at

Lisbon’s Portela Airport. A study by the Espírito Santo group has shown an annual rise

in passengers over the past seven years of almost six percent.


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b. Progressão temática

Writing coherent paragraphs involves linking sentences within paragraphs and making links

between paragraphs. Coherence develops through two systems of language: Theme and

Reference. In English, the starting point of a clause and therefore a sentence is called the

Theme. The Theme gives a focus or establishes an orientation for the reader.

The oil industry affects our everyday life in many ways.

When the price of oil rises, after a short delay the price of petrol rises too.

Types of Themes

1. Nominal group

Fossil fuels are the basis of the petrochemical industries. The Chernobyl disaster occurred in 1986.

2. Prepositional phrase or adverbial group – may give background information

In the late 1930s and the 1940s the octane rating of fuel became important as the military sought higher output for aircraft engines. Currently, many countries set limits on gasoline aromatics in general, benzene in particular, and olefin (alkene) content. In Brazil, the Brazilian National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) requires gasoline for automobile use to have from 18 to 25% of ethanol added to its compositionVerb in commands

3. Verbs in commands

Keep gasoline containers tightly closed. Do not mix even a small amount of gasoline with kerosene or diesel fuel.

4. Multiples themes

a. With conjunctions – to link clauses and show the logical relation between

them

Subsequently, the next strategy is to regulate the industry. However, this would involve a great deal of government finance. When the price of oil rises, after a short delay the price of petrol rises too.

b. With attitudinal adjuncts

Clearly, the solution is not straightforward – to present writer’s subjective evaluation. Unfortunately, no funds are yet available.

Everything else in the clause that is not Theme is called the Rheme. The Rheme introduces information that is NEW to the reader or develops the Theme. The selection of Theme contributes to the development of ideas within a paragraph.

Theme Rheme

In North America the term gasoline is often shortened in colloquial usage to gas, while petrol is the common name in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Australia and in most

of the other Commonwealth countries. Under normal conditions its physical state is a liquid, unlike liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas.


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Padrões de progessão temática

1. Constant or parallel Theme pattern

Theme Rheme

Gasoline or petrol is a transparent, petroleum-derived oil that is used primarily as a fuel in internal combustion engines.

It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives.

Some gasolines also contain ethanol as an alternative fuel.

2. Zig-zag pattern

Theme Rheme

Gasoline, as delivered at the pump, also contains additives to reduce internal engine carbon buildups, improve combustion, and to allow easier starting in cold climates.

High levels of detergent can be found in Top Tier Detergent Gasolines. These gasolines exceed the U.S. EPA's minimum requirement for detergent

content.

3. Sub-point or fan pattern

Theme Rheme

Octane rating in gasoline is measured relative to a mixture of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (an isomer of octane) and n-heptane.

There are different conventions for expressing octane ratings, so a fuel may have several different octane ratings based on the

measure used. Research octane number (RON) for commercially-available gasoline

varies by country.

In Finland, Sweden and Norway, 95 RON is the standard for regular unleaded gasoline and 98 RON is also available as a more expensive option.

In the UK, ordinary regular unleaded gasoline is 91 RON (not commonly available), premium unleaded gasoline is always 95 RON, and super unleaded is usually 97-98 RON.

However, both Shell and BP produce fuel at 102 RON for cars with high-performance engines,

and the supermarket chain Tesco

began in 2006 to sell super unleaded gasoline rated at 99 RON.

In the US, octane ratings in unleaded fuels can vary between 86 and 87 AKI (91-92 RON) for regular, through 89-90 AKI (94-95 RON) for mid-grade (European premium), up to 90-94 AKI (95-99 RON) for premium (European super).

In any paragraph you may find one or more patterns. Note how in the example for the fan pattern, deviations from the pattern are marked by a multiple theme with the conjunctions However and and.


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Exercise 4.2. Underline each Theme. Identify the type of Theme: nominal group, prepositional

phrase, verb in command or multiple Theme.

Wine is expected to register a total volume CAGR of 2% over the forecast period to reach 478

million litres in 2020. This positive performance is set to be a major improvement on the total

volume CAGR of -3% witnessed over the review period, when the Portuguese economic crisis

resulted in contracting demand for wine. Nevertheless, the Portuguese economy has shown

some signs of improvement in recent years with positive GDP growth and declining

unemployment. This recovery is expected to continue building during the review period,

positively impacting sales of wine. In addition, strong investment in improving production

quality is set to encourage higher consumption from more discerning consumers.

http://www.euromonitor.com/wine-in-portugal/report

Exercise 4.3. Multiple Themes help guide the reader to understand the logical relationships

between clauses as the paragraph develops. Circle the best conjunction to complete the

multiple Theme. Identify the kind of relation (e.g. cause/effect; purpose; contrast; addition;

concession; etc.).

Nowadays it is very common to work with people from many countries. The globalization

process has made it easier to work abroad than a few years ago. Investors buy companies

and/but/also people look for new experiences and better opportunities around the world.

Then/But/As a result conflicts between foreign employees are part of the work environment.

The case study about the difficulty of French and American engineers working together

illustrates cultural differences. The American engineers are more practical and like to work

fast. They want to solve the problems and think about other future possibilities.

So/Although/However, the French engineers believe that they need to analyse the process

more carefully, thus/because/and this will save money and/because/so the company will

have fewer problems with their products.

Exercise 4.4. The following paragraphs are poorly organised because the choice of Theme does

not follow any expected pattern. Rewrite them. You may need to make changes to the

structure and vocabulary choices of the rewritten sentences. Underline the changes you make.

Some sentences may not need to be reformulated.

a. The use of modern technology can reduce work time. Information can be processed with great speed and computers can process more information than humans. In addition, troublesome and complicated work is made easy by computers. Email also allows us to communicate easily with others in different countries. Moreover, CAT scans help doctors to gather and analyse images of a patient’s tissue structure. This image can make operations easier.

The use of modern technology can reduce work time. Information can be processed with great speed

and computers can process more information than humans. In addition, troublesome and complicated

work is made easy by computers.

Email

also allows us to communicate easily with others in different countries.

Moreover, CAT scans help doctors to gather and analyse images of a patient’s tissue structure.

This image can make operations easier.


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b. The graph shows the cost of electricity of residential solar photovoltaic systems by

country in 2010 and 2014. Overall, the cost of electricity of residential solar

photovoltaic systems shows a decreasing trend. There was a significant drop in the

USD/kwh in 2014 compared to 2010, sustained by the improvement in technology for

renewable energies. In France was the biggest fall, with a decrease from 0.8 USD/kwh

to around 0.4. In second place is Japan with a fall from 0.5 to less than 0.4. The other

four countries – Australia, US California, US non-California and Germany – were almost

at the same level in 2010, with values standing at a little bit less than 0.4. And from

these four, the most significant fall was Australia, having the highest value in 2010 to

the lowest in 2014 (above 0.2). China turned up in 2014 and registered the lowest

price of all seven countries.

c. Recursos de coesão

Condensing information into a nominal group

One technique to help create cohesive texts is to condense previous information that

was realised as a clause or more into a nominal group. This technique is useful to

create a Theme that becomes the subject of the clause. The noun that encapsulates

the previous information can do so by means of generalising or by reformulating the

information in a more abstract way.

Generalising often uses a noun that labels a class:

e.g. this furniture; dairy products, these manufactured goods

or one that labels components, parts or characteristics:

e.g. these factors; these features;

Abstraction usually relies on nominalisation, i.e. reformulating a verb or adjective as a

noun. Nominalisations are common to condense information as a scientific or technical

concept:

e.g. this demand and supply; the erosion; the ill health in remote areas.

Reference nouns are also nominalisations. Reference nouns not only condense information often expressed as a clause or sentence, but they can also interpret it. A reference noun can encode a point of view:

e.g. this problem; these issues; the solution, such an argument, this perspective, this possibility

or label cause and effect relationships: e.g. these reasons; this influence; these implications, this result

or refer to ways or strategies: e.g. this approach; such strategies; this process

or identify similarity or difference: e.g. these differences, this similarity, this diversity.


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Exercise 4.5

Identify the Themes that encapsulate information previously realised as a clause. Identify the

technique – generalising or abstraction – and the kind of noun used – general noun,

technical/scientific concept noun or reference noun.

Wine is expected to register a total volume CAGR of 2% over the forecast period to reach 478

million litres in 2020. This positive performance is set to be a major improvement on the total

volume CAGR of -3% witnessed over the review period, when the Portuguese economic crisis

resulted in contracting demand for wine. Nevertheless, the Portuguese economy has shown

some signs of improvement in recent years with positive GDP growth and declining

unemployment. This recovery is expected to continue building during the review period,

positively impacting sales of wine. In addition, strong investment in improving production

quality is set to encourage higher consumption from more discerning consumers.

http://www.euromonitor.com/wine-in-portugal/report

Exercise 4.6

Choose the best nominal group to encapsulate the information of the previous sentences. Identify if the link is via generalisation or abstraction.

1. Low-cost travellers are finding it increasingly easy to get to Lisbon, Continental

Europe’s western-most capital city. Ryanair Holdings Plc, Europe’s largest discount

airline, and EasyJet Plc both have hubs in Lisbon.

This cheap access / Travelling by plane / These budget airlines

2. Lonely Planet travel guides rated Lisbon as one of its most reasonably priced

destinations last year.

The cheap restaurants / The comparatively low prices / Lisbon

3. In the Baixa area of Lisbon, many streets have recently sprouted shops selling cheap

imitation Portuguese items that were actually made in China.

The proliferation of these souvenir shops / Souvenir shops / This cheap produce

4. In the souvenir shops it is now possible to find cork hats, cork shoes, cork wallets, and

even cork umbrellas.

These products / This innovation / Cork

5. Some residents in the Alfama have complained that they feel as if they were living in a

zoo. The propensity of tourists to look through the windows and doors into their

houses has become so common that one man considered turning his house into a

living museum.

The problem / The Alfama locals / Tourism


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Exercise 4.7

Condense the information into a nominal group to create the Theme of the next clause. Finish

the clause and sentence.

1. Statistics Portugal said that the number of foreign tourists reached 10.18 million in

2015, a rise of ten percent on the previous year, while the number of domestic tourists

rose by seven percent to 7.3 million. Overall, hotel revenues rose by more than 13

percent.

2. Nobody knows what the tourists actually do in Lisbon.

3. Tuk-tuks have invaded all of central Lisbon. While they offer tourists a unique way to see the city, unfortunately, not all of them are electric. The petrol-engine ones spew toxic fumes and drown out the noise of the rest of the traffic.

Recursos de “reference, substitution” e “ellipsis”

Reference

Reference items enable us to track a participant (e.g. a person, place, thing, entity, or idea) through the text. Once a participant has been presented, it is usually identified with presuming reference, which tells the reader that they know who or what is being referred to. Presumed participants can be identified in different ways. The following examples are taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/mobile/business/904748.stm. The referent is in italics, and the presuming reference is in bold.

1. Definite determiner

the

Big movements in oil price have significant ramifications around the world. But just what

makes the price move and how do the oil markets work?

2. Personal pronouns & possessives

I / me / my / mine / you / your /yours / he / him / his / she / her / hers / it / its / we / us / our /

ours / they / them / their / theirs

Crude oil comes in many varieties and qualities, depending on its specific gravity and sulphur

content which depend on where it has been pumped from.

Futures contracts are only traded on regulated exchanges and are settled (paid) daily, based on

their current value in the marketplace.

3. Demonstratives

this / that / these /those / here / there / now / then

If no other information is given, an oil price appearing in UK and other European media reports

will probably refer to the price of a barrel of Brent blend crude oil from the North Sea sold at

London's International Petroleum Exchange (IPE). This would commonly be in a futures

contract for delivery in the following month.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/mobile/business/904748.stm


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4. A participant can be presumed through comparison with a previous participant.

another / other / more

Because there are so many different varieties and grades of crude oil, buyers and sellers have

found it easier to refer to a limited number of reference, or benchmark, crude oils. Other

varieties are then priced at a discount or premium, according to their quality. (Other varieties

of crude oil that are not reference or benchmark crude oils)

In the Gulf, Dubai crude is used as a benchmark to price sales of other regional crudes into

Asia. (Other regional crudes that are not Dubai crude)

5. Presuming reference (definite determiner or demonstratives) often combines with

general nouns and reference nouns to condense information in a nominal group.

e.g. components / features // process / problem / idea / advantage / diversity

If no other information is given, an oil price appearing in UK and other European media reports

will probably refer to the price of a barrel of Brent blend crude oil from the North Sea sold at

London's International Petroleum Exchange (IPE). This would commonly be in a futures

contract for delivery in the following month. In this type of transaction, the buyer agrees to

take delivery and the seller agrees to provide a fixed amount of oil at a pre-arranged price at a

specified location. (general noun = more generalised category)

Opec controls the amount of oil it pumps into the market place. This practice enables it to keep

the basket price within a predetermined range. [adapted] (reference noun [way or strategy] =

Opec’s practice of controlling the amount of oil it pumps into the market place)

Substitution and ellipsis

Participants and processes (verbs or verb + complement) can be substituted (replaced) or elided (left out). In both cases, a more specific reference is considered superfluous.

Substitution Ellipsis

participant one / ones ø

process do / do so ø

Global production of biofuels is growing steadily and will continue to do so. (i.e. continue to grow steadily - substitution)

http://www.scidev.net/global/capacity-building/opinion/biofuels-benefits-and-risks-for-developing-countr.html

In the Gulf, Dubai crude is used as a benchmark to price sales of other regional crudes into Asia. This is not because there are more supplies of Dubai crude oil than of any other grade - there are not - but because it is one of the few Gulf crudes available in single, on the spot, sales as opposed to long term supply contracts. However, if supplies became extremely limited and price swings became exaggerated, a new benchmark would have to be found. (i.e. supplies of Dubai crude - ellipsis)


http://www.scidev.net/global/capacity-building/opinion/biofuels-benefits-and-risks-for-developing-countr.html



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Exercise 4.8.

Identify the referent of the underlined nominal groups. What does ‘does’ (in bold) substitute?

The precious and versatile vegetable tissue known as cork is the outer bark of the cork oak

tree, Quercus suber, or as the Portuguese call it, sobreiro). Cork (cortiça) is most easily

stripped off the tree in late spring and summer when the cells are turgid and fragile and tear

without being damaged. The tree quickly forms new layers of cork and restores its protective

barrier. No tree is cut down. This simple fact makes cork harvesting exceptionally sustainable,

leading to a unique balance between people and nature.

Cork has a structure that you can compare with that of a honeycomb. Every cm2 consists of

approximately 40 million cells. These cells, as well as the spaces in between, are filled with a

kind of gas resembling air, without CO2. Thus, the cork cells work as small sound and heat

insulators and absorb pressure and shocks. This is what makes cork so remarkable. Up till

today there has not been found any other material which combines the same characteristics as

cork does. http://www.saomarcosdaserra.com/cork.php

Exercise 4.9.

In the following text the resources for reference are poorly used because they are too vague.

Rewrite it, rewording the underlined reference terms to make the flow clearer. Pay attention

to the thematic progression. You may need to make other changes to the sentence, for

example to the verb, because of the reformulated theme. Underline the changes you make to

the text.

Shell had three advertising campaigns, starting in 2005 until 2008. They improved and

reinforced the image they wish to project over time. …

In 2006 Shell had another campaign that was focused on the idea of sustainability and

renewable energies. This had the objective of showing people that they could trust Shell to

satisfy their needs with their products, and at the same time, show that these products would

be as environmentally oriented as possible. The reason of these campaigns is the criticism that

the company received because of their disregard for the preservation of the environment.

Exercise 4.10.

The following paragraphs are poorly organised due to poor thematic progression. Rewrite

them to improve the information flow. You may need to make changes to the structure and

vocabulary choices of the rewritten sentences. Underline the changes you make to the text.

a. Energy is important to do work and is required for life processes. An energy resource is

something that can produce heat, power life, move objects, or produce electricity. Our

earth gets most of its energy from the sun. Fossil fuels rely on the sun’s energy, because

the energy in fossil fuels comes from plants and algae as they performed photosynthesis.

Humans exploit the fossil fuels and the first oil was drilled in 1859.

http://www.saomarcosdaserra.com/cork.php


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b.

Manufactures

exports Fuel exports

Ores and metals exports

Agricultural raw materials

exports Food exports

Brazil 53.88% 6.11% 9.8% 3.9% 26.3%

Russia 19.9% 40.01% 6.79% 2.7% 1.61%

India 70.32% 11.4% 6.85% 1.54% 8.89%

China 91.8% 2.3% 1.86% 0.52% 3.32%

Looking to the figures, the main thing that we can see is the highest manufactures exports of

Brazil, India and china. China is the biggest manufactures exporter, reaching 91%, and that is

easy to predict because of all Chinese shops that we can see all around Portugal and other

countries. As we can see, Russia isn’t a big manufacture exporter, their main export is the fuel,

which reaches 49%. About Brazil, we can see that they export mainly manufactured products

(53%) but also food (26%) because of their weather, which is suitable to plant many types of

food like fruits, which are the most known. A sector that has during the years lost importance

is the agriculture sector, and as we can see, the agriculture raw materials is the less exported

of the BRIC countries. The biggest exporter is Brazil with only 3.9%. Ores and metals are goods

exported by BRICS too but they don’t have much influence like agriculture. The main ores and

metal exporter is Brazil with 9.8%, which is just a little bit more than China, with 2%, which is

the country that exports less.

c.

The graph below presents the variation in crude oil prices, in prices of 2010 and in current

prices, showing the major price fluctuations between 2004 and December 2007. OPEC, natural

disasters, and production costs are some of the main influences on oil prices. In April of 2004,

oil prices rose by $4 after OPEC decided to cut production (as it led to a decrease in the supply

of oil). Natural disasters are another factor that can cause oil prices to fluctuate. Gulf

Hurricane Ivan, in September 2004, is an example of that. Affecting oil supply, it caused the

price of oil to rise by $6, leading to the highest peak of $52. In August 2005, when Hurricane

Katrina entered the Gulf of Mexico and caused massive damage to oil production facilities and

refineries, oil prices also increased. Production costs can also cause oil prices to rise or fall.

When in November of 2004 OPEC increased production by 1 million, the price of oil decreased

by $14, to reach $38. OPEC abandoned its price band mechanism ($22-$28) in 2005, elevating

the price of crude oil. By the time Angola joined OPEC, the price of this commodity

dramatically increased. In conclusion, oil is a commodity, and as such, it tends to see larger

fluctuations in price. If supply decreases, the price of crude oil must increase towards the

equilibrium level.


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5. Register (relações sociais e modo)

a. Características de um texto mais impessoal

Não utilize contracções.

Evite utilizar a primeira pessoa como sujeito (I, we, our, etc) (a não ser que esteja a representar uma

função institucional, e.g. numa carta). Evite também o uso da segunda pessoa (you).

Não utilize expressões informais, típicas do discurso oral.

Técnicas

1. Nominalisation

We analysed … and we found … » The analysis showed that

Some people believe that … » There is a belief that

2. Passive voice

First we classified the advertisements into campaigns.

» First, the advertisements were classified into campaigns.

3. Impersonal constructions

Let’s face it. The immigrants are not going to stop coming.

» It is clear that the immigrants are not going to stop coming.

We can see a shift from a more powerful and important company to a more socially responsible

and caring one.

» There is a shift from a more powerful and important company …

We associate the colour green with nature. » The colour green suggests nature.

4. Modal verbs

In conclusion, I think that Chocky’s statement came a little early.

» In conclusion, Chocky’s statement may have come a little early.

b. Making the subjective sound objective

Writing task

The following is a quote from Chocky, a novel by John Wyndham first published in 1968. In the novel an

intelligent being from another planet is given the task of investigating Earth to see if it would be a

suitable planet to colonise. This is what he says about it.

Everything you are, and have, you owe to the radiations from your sun. … Recently you have

learnt to exploit the stored-up energy of your sun – for that is what all your fuels are – and you

call that progress. It is not progress. … You are squandering your sources of power. And they are

your capital: when they are spent you will be back where you were before you found them. This

is not progress, it is profligacy.

To what extent is Chocky’s analysis valid? Discuss with reference to the articles we have read and the work we have done in class.

Tipo do texto:

Estrutura do texto:

Linguagem:

everyday technical/specialist

close/informal/subjective distant/ formal/objective

congruent (less dense) abstract (more dense)


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Rhetorical structure Texto do aluno

First of all, I think that it’s extremely difficult to discuss this subject, since it almost requires a philosophical approach, for lack of a better term, so I decided to share a personal view on the topic.

Introduction - Preview of

approach

As long as I can remember, I’ve been asked, in school, to share my opinion toward the management of natural resources. Sometimes I wonder if we have all the information necessary to develop such opinions, even when we are supposed to make a simple analysis. What I can say is that with all the information that’s stored in my brain and based on my beliefs,

I don’t think that the people responsible for managing natural resources are doing such a good job,

Claim 1

so (conjunction)

you could say that I agree with Chocky’s analysis. Thesis

I like to believe that people, after many years, are finally acknowledging the mistakes they’ve committed and are trying to change,

Evidence for claim 2

so (conjunction)

this can only demonstrate the growing awareness of the need to explore and manage natural resources in a more viable way.

Claim 2

The text “Oil prices lift demand for hybrids” is related with this idea since it depicts how society is adapting to the changes in oil markets and trying to use less gas and more electricity, which is a “greener” way of transportation.


Texto revisto

Chocky’s view that mankind is wasting his reserves of fuel is almost as valid today as when the novel was published in 1968.

Thesis

The management of natural resources is a complex task but it is not always carried out efficiently by those in charge of it.

Claim 1

Nevertheless, (conjunction)

people may now finally be acknowledging the mistakes they have committed and be trying to change.

Claim 2

This growing awareness of the need to explore and manage natural resources in a more viable way is reflected in the text “Oil prices lift demand for hybrids”, which describes how society is adapting to the changes in oil markets and trying to use less gas and more electricity. There is evidence that more people are prepared to pay a premium for a “greener” form of transportation.



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Information development: Thematic development

First of all, I think that it’s extremely difficult to discuss this subject,

since it almost requires a philosophical approach, for lack of a better term,

so I decided to share a personal view on the topic.

As long as I can remember,

I ’ve been asked, in school, to share my opinion toward the management of natural resources.

Sometimes I wonder if we have all the information necessary to develop such opinions,

even when we are supposed to make a simple analysis.

What I can say is that with all the information that’s stored in my brain and based on my beliefs,

I don’t think that the people responsible for managing natural resources are doing such a good job,

so you could say that I agree with Chocky’s analysis.

I like to believe that people, after many years, are finally acknowledging the mistakes they’ve committed and are trying to change,

so this can only demonstrate the growing awareness of the need to explore and manage natural resources in a more viable way.

The text “Oil prices lift demand for hybrids”

is related with this idea

since it depicts how society is adapting to the changes in oil markets and trying to use less gas and more electricity,

which is a “greener” way of transportation.

Thematic choices are overtly personal and the reasoning relies on more congruent

conjunctions: ‘so’ and ‘since’. The argument is downgraded to projected clauses.

Chocky’s view that mankind is wasting his reserves of fuel

is almost as valid today as when the novel was published in 1968.

The management of natural resources

is a complex task,

but it is not always carried out efficiently by those in charge of it.

Nevertheless, people may now finally be acknowledging the mistakes they have committed and be trying to change.

This growing awareness of the need to explore and manage natural resources in a more viable way

is reflected in the text “Oil prices lift demand for hybrids”,

which describes how society is adapting to the changes in oil markets and trying to use less gas and more electricity.

There is evidence that more people are prepared to pay a premium for a “greener” form of transportation.

Thematic choices are more abstract (complex noun groups). The reasoning develops through

and is signalled by more abstract conjunctions (but, nevertheless).


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Register: subjective ↔ objective

Lexico-grammatical selections

First of all, I think that it’s extremely difficult to discuss this subject, since it almost requires a philosophical approach, for lack of a better term, so I decided to share a personal view on the topic.

As long as I can remember, I’ve been asked, in school, to share my opinion toward the management of natural resources.

Idea 1 Sometimes I wonder if we have all the information necessary to develop such opinions, even when we are supposed to make a simple analysis.

What I can say is that with all the information that’s stored in my brain and based on my beliefs,

Idea 2 I don’t think that

Idea 3 the people responsible for managing natural resources are doing such a good job,

Idea 4 so you could say that

Idea 5 I agree with

Idea 6 Chocky’s analysis.

Idea 7 I like to believe that

Idea 8 people, after many years, are finally acknowledging the mistakes they’ve committed and are trying to change,

So

this can only demonstrate the growing awareness of the need to explore and manage natural resources in a more viable way. The text “Oil prices lift demand for hybrids” is related with this idea since it depicts how society is adapting to the changes in oil markets and trying to use less gas and more electricity, which is a “greener” way of transportation.


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Idea 6 Chocky’s view that mankind is wasting his reserves of fuel

Chocky’s analysis.

Idea 5…

is I agree with

Idea 4 almost so you could say that …idea 5

as valid today as when the novel was published in 1968.

I agree with

Idea 1 The management of natural resources is a complex task,

Sometimes I wonder if we have all the information necessary to develop such opinions, even when we are supposed to make a simple analysis.

but Idea 3…

it is that the people responsible for managing natural resources are

Idea 2 not always I don’t think that …idea 3

carried out efficiently by those in charge of it. doing such a good job,

Nevertheless, Idea 8…

people people,

Idea 6 may I like to believe that …idea 8

now finally be acknowledging the mistakes they have committed and be trying to change.

after many years, are finally acknowledging the mistakes they’ve committed and are trying to change,

This growing awareness of the need to explore and manage natural resources in a more viable way

so this can only demonstrate the growing awareness of the need to explore and manage natural resources in a more viable way.

is reflected in the text “Oil prices lift demand for hybrids”, which describes how society is adapting to the changes in oil markets and trying to use less gas and more electricity. There is evidence that more people are prepared to pay a premium for a “greener” form of transportation.

The text “Oil prices lift demand for hybrids” is related with this idea since it depicts how society is adapting to the changes in oil markets and trying to use less gas and more electricity, which is a “greener” way of transportation.

Interpersonal marks of opinion such as ‘I think, I believe’ are reformulated as modal verbs (e.g.

may, might) and adverbs (e.g. almost, always).

‘Chocky’s view’ composes Theme and is the subject of the clause instead of the complement to

‘I agree’.


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Exercise 5.1

Use the prompt to rewrite each sentence, making it sound more objective.

e.g. On a first approach we might be misled and not understand the real message with this ad.

At first glance the ad’s message can be misleading.

1. Basically, you take some mortgages of different people to form a bigger “mortgage”, with a value

of 50 million dollars, which they call a Mortgage-backed Security.

A mortgage-backed security …

2. I think that managers have a tendency to exaggerate when they organize too many events in the

name of team building.

Team-building …

3. After the first ad, we can observe a change in the company’s marketing strategy.

After the first ad, …

4. When you’re working in a team, you’re learning and producing more.

Teamwork …

5. As we can see in the figure, sales declined to 180,000 in December 2012.

The figure …

6. In 1973 we have a significant change in the price equal to $8 that made the price be $28 per barrel.

In 1973 …

7. We understand by the background full of equations that we are trying to find new solutions.

The background full of equations …

8. In another advert of the same campaign, we can notice a slight difference.

Another advert of the same campaign …

Exercise 5.2

Rewrite the section italics so that it is a more informative nominal group that composes Theme. Use the

techniques of nominalisation or generalising.

e.g. The second campaign is composed of a series of ads that show us circles that are connected with

lines. In each circle there is a picture or phrase, and the pictures are taken as if we were the ones

who took them. These circles bring to mind the thought bubbles in comics, and they represent our

thoughts. The circles and how they are connected [also] remind us of a molecule. This suggests that

Exxon Mobil is a company that is customer-focussed and focussed on research.

The association between the viewers, their concerns and scientific elements suggests that Exxon

Mobil is both customer-focussed and focussed on research.

1. This campaign depicts people from different races, which suggests that Chevron cares about

everyone all over the world.

2. The ad shows maps, pictures, diagrams, note paper, pens, graphs and many other things. This

represents the practical research of a hard-working and committed company.

3. A group of employees is shown. They look really serious and well-dressed. This projects the

hard-working image of the company.

4. When we look at the data in the chart and the chronological order of events, we see clearly that

the constant conflicts between countries for whatever reason affect everyone. (Hint:

nominalise the verb ‘correlate’)

5. Our development has been based on oil. Furthermore, the world population is rapidly

increasing, which has raised our need for this resource.

6. I disagree with Chocky’s analysis that we will be back where we were before we found these

sources. Today, there are huge investments in R&D for clean and renewable energy. We can

see that in electric cars, wind energy, solar energy and many other areas.


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Exercise 5.3

Rewrite each text making it sound more objective and less informal.

a.

The case I’m analysing is Chevron’s. We were given two advertising campaigns, one

from 2007 and another one from 2010, and even without a deep analysis of the content, we

can witness a change in the focus of the company.

In the 2007 campaign, Chevron presents us with an advertisement whose only focus is

simply to sell their product. They show us an image of a city seen from below and centred,

transmitting the idea that the city is bigger than all of us, but we, as individuals, are the city

itself, and that’s where they come in, powering the city, selling their product, plain and simple.

…

After these analyses, we can definitely notice a change in the company’s focus and

message that they want to deliver from 2007 to 2010. From the first to the second campaign,

given the lawsuit they were facing at the time for unethical measures in the business, I would

say they go from a “straight to the point” approach, to a way more ethical approach,

transmitting that they are there not only there to provide for us, but to care about us at the

same time.

To sum up, they want to show us that they are an ethical company and care about the

world, not only their own profit, as we can witness through the change in focus in their

advertising campaigns.

b.

Nowadays, innovations are everywhere. We can find them in IT industry, marketing

ones, logistic ones and even in services. Thanks to these innovations, we can observe

incredible changes in the entire world. Let us concentrate on IT and marketing caused by IT

workers and improvements.

To describe how the IT industry works we have to take a closer look at the

information. We can find this information in Figure 1. It shows global unit shipments for iPods,

iPhones and iPads during the first 6 quarters after the launch. In the graph we can observe

completely different, but growth for all devices. The fastest growth occurs in the case of the

iPad. The improvements are quite high after 2 quarters. Shipments by iPod have no significant

movement. In the case of the iPhone, the global shipments are close to 5 thousand units

during the 3rd, 4th and 5th quarters, before climbing to 10 thousand in the last quarter.

It is hard to say what caused the different unit shipments. If we can observe lasting

growth, we can also suppose that the quantity is going to grow in the future. That means that

from the beginning of use of these devices, people communicate with the world and get

incredible quantities of information. Nowadays, the information sent via the Internet occurs in

each part of the world. This is just the tip of the iceberg for possibilities given to industries,

such as marketing and advertising. We can say that the aim of companies is not to have the

highest amount of viewers in general, but rather the most concentrated public which belongs

to their target market.


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6. Discurso científico

Estratégias para parafrasear

Strategy Original Rewording

Changing word order

There are also major concerns about how the detention system affects the mental and physical health of the detainees.

Secondly, the mental or physical effects of detained asylum seekers are not taken seriously by the government.

Using different conjunctions

Furthermore, mandatory detention does not act as a deterrent.

Moreover, the survey shows that there are approximately 600 asylum seekers waiting in Indonesia to take a boat to Australia.

Using synonyms … when people are already traumatised by past persecution and do not know what the future holds for them …

… when people are not sure about their future …

Alternating between active and passive voice

There are also major concerns about how the detention system affects the mental and physical health of the detainees.

Secondly, the mental or physical effects of detained asylum seekers are not taken seriously by the government.

Taking information out of the nominal group

… and it is the only country world-wide with a national, mandatory detention policy which cannot be reviewed by a court.

Furthermore, Australian detention policy does not have the system to allow a court to review the policy.

Exercise 6.1

Paraphrase the following quotations. Identify the strategy you used.

1. As the sea becomes warmer some of the water plants can no longer grow in the sea and begin to die and as a result many fish lose their main food source and die also. This will in turn affect other sea creatures, who will also die.

Johanson, B. 2002. The global warming desk reference. p 233 2. In recent years many scientists have expressed concern that because of the poor

ambient air quality, our crop yield is being reduced. Estimates of this loss in dollar terms range from 1 billion to 5 billion per year.

Fishman, J. 1990. Global alert – the ozone pollution crisis. p 191


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Estratégias de resumir

Strategy Original wording Summary

Putting information into a nominal group

Ten years since the introduction of mandatory detention for asylum-seekers lacking visas, Amnesty International is appealing to the Australian government to step back and consider the costs and consequences of the policy and to bring it in line with international human rights standards.

International criticism should not be taken …

Changing word class

… major concerns about how the detention system affects the mental and physical health of the detainees.

Australia’s default of international obligations under international treaties and lack of careful consideration of the physical or mental health effects on detained asylum seekers have been recognised.

Synthesising information from different sources

Asylum seekers mainly from Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan have been automatically detained to the detention centres according to the Migration Act.

Exercise 6.2

Summarise the paragraph in 1 sentence.

From October visitors will be turned away from Koh Tachai island, a snorkelling paradise in Thailand, to save the coral from death by a thousand plastic fins. Sun umbrellas will go from three nearby islands, as they curb tourism too. At the height of summer some 10,000 holidaymakers per day trundle off cruise ships into the alleyways of Santorini, a Greek island. The authorities now have a cap of 8,000 a day.

The Economist, 13 August 2016

Técnicas de citar

In academic writing you must explicitly acknowledge the sources of your information. Information can be quoted (i.e. you use the same wording as the original), paraphrased or summarized.

Short quotes can be integrated into your text, but must be surrounded by “…”. A quote longer than 3 lines should be set out separately in an indented paragraph, with smaller font but without “..”.

The source(s) of quoted information must be explicitly mentioned, including the author’s name, the date of publication and the page number. For example:

Southern Europeans – Spanish and Portuguese – writing in the social sciences have in particular come under attack for language related issues. They have been accused of “severe wordiness” (Barbin, 2008: 379), writing “arguments [that] are vague and


24

confusing” (Dueñas, 2012: 148), writing in a style that is “a little bit over the top and too pretentious” and “too Latin for a North-West European” (Lillis & Curry, 2010: 150), and using “weasel words (‘phenomena’, ‘approach’, ‘consideration’) [in a way that] is useless to the reader” (Lillis & Curry, 2010: 150).

When information is paraphrased or summarized, the author’s name and publication date must be mentioned. The mention can take various forms.

author’s name (date) as subject of clause before paraphrased/summarized idea

Bennet (2012) offers a potential explanation for such criticism.

author’s name (date) in prepositional phrase

According to Coupé (2003), Frey and Eichenberger (1997) and Diamond (1989), the United States of America is dominant in setting standards for the field of economics. A study by Coupé (2003) shows that the United States of America is dominant in setting standards for the field of economics.

(author’s name & date) after paraphrased/summarized idea

It has been noted that the United States of America is dominant in setting standards for the field of economics (Coupé, 2003; Frey & Eichenberger, 1997; Diamond, 1989).

Source material can be introduced in different ways.

Subject Typical verbs

the work itself

e.g. The study, The paper, Research

show, highlights, examines, confirms, suggests, analyses, looks at, illustrates, explains, notes …

Several studies note that the United States of America is dominant in setting standards for the field of economics (Coupé, 2003; Frey & Eichenberger, 1997; Diamond, 1989).

the author’s name shows, highlights, examines, claims, notes, corroborates, illustrates, indicates, argues, suggests, proves, implies, finds, demonstrates, posits …

Coupé (2003), Frey and Eichenberger (1997) and Diamond (1989) note that the United States of America is dominant in setting standards for the field of economics.

The verbs used can incorporate your assessment of the worth of the research. This assessment may be neutral, i.e. it doesn’t show your point of view, it may suggest that you agree with the author’s conclusions, or it may suggest that you are hesitant to agree with them.

Exercise 6.3

Place the verbs above into the table.

Neutral assessment Positive assessment implied Potentially negative assessment implied


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Exercise 6.4

Summarise the information in a short paragraph of 3-5 sentences. Incorporate the source in your text.

Welcome back, semicolon; cu l8r, informality

By Lucy Kellaway

Financial Times, 22 February 2009

Last week I received a text message from a young colleague that read: “I, sadly, will be late for our meeting; the Underground is running with long delays.”

I gazed at this message for some time. The fact that this young man was going to be late was of little interest; the fact that he had used one full stop, two commas and one semicolon to tell me so was of very great interest indeed. If a 26-year-old sends elaborately punctuated text messages, does this herald the end of an era? Could it be, I wondered, that the lower-case, hey there, cu l8r age of business language is over?

One electronic swallow doesn’t make a summer, but the very next day another swallow winged its way across my computer screen. It was an e-mail from the UK head of internal communications at Google, formerly the coolest company in the world. It did not begin “yo lucy!”, or even “hey there”. Instead it started: “Dear Ms Kellaway”. It proceeded to issue a civil invitation to speak at an event and finished: “I look forward to hearing from you.” The message was signed off “Yours sincerely”, followed by the man’s full name.

If Google employees have forsworn the language of the internet and are now composing e-mails in the manner recommended by Debrett’s Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners, something must be shifting somewhere. To find out how deep this new punctiliousness runs, I have just carried out some research and come up with startling results. I examined the latest 100 unsolicited e-mails that have arrived in my in-box from readers, and graded them for style, punctuation and formality. I then compared the results with those of a similar test I conducted for a column I wrote in 2000.

The results prove beyond reasonable doubt that the pendulum has swung away from slouchy informality towards correct usage. In 2000, more than a quarter of e-mails were entirely written in lower case. In the recent batch only one e-mail shunned the capital letter, and that came not from a young techie but from a man who had worked on Wall Street in the 1960s. As his use of language was otherwise impeccable I am inclined to think that the reason for the absence of capitals was that the gentleman was having difficulty operating the shift key.

In my earlier audit there was a rich variety in e-mail sign-offs, but almost all were ugly. One of the most common was “rgds”, a hateful little abbreviation, insulting in its implication that the writer is too busy to make three extra key strokes for the recipient’s benefit. Yet in the 2009 group there was only one “rgds”, and instead “Yours Sincerely”, even “Yours Faithfully” have made walloping comebacks. There has been a corresponding return to favour of the surname, which in 2000 was little in evidence. Nearly 40 per cent of the recent e-mails addressed me as “Ms Kellaway”, “Mrs Kellaway” or “Lucy Kellaway”, and before the name came my very favourite form of address, which is “Dear”. This is firmly back in fashion, while “Hi” and “Hey”, which were both in vogue in 2000, are on the way out.

The fact that the pendulum is swinging back now is no surprise. Just as recession encourages people to put on ties (as I wrote last week), it also makes them look more kindly on the capital letter and the semicolon. When people are losing their jobs, correct dress and correct usage of words seem like a good insurance policy.


26

Textos padrão

Respostas escritas nos testes e nos exames

Writing a good answer to a test question requires a clear understanding of the question and recognition of the text type that will, in fact, answer it.

Test questions can take various linguistic forms:

a command or instruction

Use an increase in the demand to illustrate and explain the roles/functions played by the price of a good in a market system. (8 points)

a non-finite clause of purpose

Use an increase in the demand to illustrate and explain the roles/functions played by the price of a good in a market system. (8 points)

a direct question

What economic system does it represent, how does it work, and how important is the system to the economy? (250-300 words)

a statement that supplies information

Figure 1 shows the cumulative sales of i-pods between 2010 and 2015.

a chart or graph

a combination of the above

Consider the information in Figure 1. What economic system does it represent, how does it work, and how important is the system to the economy? (250-300 words)

The function of question is typically to test your understanding of a technical concept and your ability to apply it to situations. In the question, it is important to identify

the concept being tested,

the question word (if present),

what the verbs are asking you to do, and

any reference nouns (if present).

The question word, if present, and the verb(s) or reference nouns (if present) help define the way you develop information in the paragraph, and therefore what language is appropriate. A question may require you to write:

A definition of a concept,

A descriptive report on taxonomic relations, component parts or features of a concept,

A causal explanation of why things happen,

A sequential explanation of how things work/ how they came about (describing change over time),

An example,

An analytical response (conclusions based on description and analysis of data),

An analytical exposition (arguing point of view on a topic),

An analytical discussion (presenting & evaluating different points of view on a topic), or

A mixture of the above.

It is important to clearly identify the concept being tested in the first sentence.


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Example 1

Prompt:

Use an increase in the demand to illustrate and explain the roles/functions

played by the price of a good in a market system. (8 points)

Answer: The price of an item

1. informs, 2. rations, and 3. motivates.

Consider the market for apartments and begin with an initial equilibrium at (P0,Q0) as illustrated in the graph provided.

An increase in demand is a rightward movement of the demand curve as shown from D0 to D1.

The immediate effect of this change is an increase in the price to P1 (since the quantity of housing supplied increases slowly). This new higher price informs both buyers and sellers that apartments are relatively more scarce.

The higher price also rations the available housing -- apartments go to those who are willing and able to pay the higher rental rate.

The higher price also motivates buyers and sellers to adapt to the changed market conditions. The higher price means that the opportunity cost of housing has risen and prospective tenants have an incentive to economize on housing by living at home, taking in room-mates, etc. The higher price also makes the real estate rental market more profitable. The prospect of higher profits motivates sellers to offer more rental housing.

These responses lead to the new equilibrium at (P2,Q2)

In the prompt, identify the concept being tested and the verbs that ask you to do

something.

In the answer, identify the where the concept is presented in a topic sentence and

how the answer elaborates on it.


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Example 2

Consider the information in the following figure. What economic system does it represent, how does it work, and how important is the system to the economy? (250-300 words)

The figure shows information about the gig economy. The gig economy is also known as the sharing economy or collaborative consumption. It can be defined as an economic system that uses old-fashioned mechanisms such as bartering, swapping, trading, renting, or lending but in a way that has been reinvented through the use of modern technology. It contrasts with the hyper-consumption of the 20th century, where ownership was valued, and instead values use of a product or experience over ownership. While Rachel Botsman argues that there are three systems by which collaborative consumption works: product service systems; collaborative lifestyles; and redistribution markets; the graph reinterprets them as two: labor platforms and capital platforms. The difference stems from a difference in perspective. The classification into three systems suggests a user’s point of view whereas the classification into two systems is based on the provider’s point of view.

In labor platforms people compete to offer a service, which is coordinated through a digital online platform, and for which they operate as independent contractors. For example, an Uber driver provides a transport service similar to that of a taxi-driver, but is not affiliated with a taxi company. Task-Rabbit centralises people who compete to provide a variety of services such as buying groceries for someone, walking their dog, or cleaning their house.

In capital platforms unused assets are rented out or sold. For example, a house-owner might choose to rent out spare room through Airbnb, or even the parking space in front of the house. Someone who owns a drill could rent it out to someone who needs to use one. Unused assets can be sold through websites such as e-bay or OLX. This market can be global, and relies on the internet to enable buyers and sellers to meet.

The gig economy has been growing, as the graph shows. The share of people earning money from capital platforms, i.e. from selling or renting out their unused assets, increased about six-fold between October 2012 and July 2015 while those who earned money by providing a labor service grew around fifteen-fold between July 2013 and July 2015. Although the share of U.S. adults earning income through the sharing economy still currently represents less than 1%, the steady growth trends in both the labor platforms and the capital platforms look set to continue.

In the prompt, identify the concept being tested and the verbs that ask you to do

something.

In the answer, identify the where the concept is presented in a topic sentence and

how the answer elaborates on it.

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2016/03/28/the-entire-online-gig-economy-might-be-mostly-uber/


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Exercise 6.5

Identify the concept(s) being tested in each question and the kind of development that would be necessary to answer it successfully.

1. Modern economic growth is a new economic epoch that took off in Great Britain at the end of the eighteenth century. a) What are its main distinctive aggregate characteristics? b) What are the main causes of the characteristics you have just mentioned?

2. What are the market effects of prohibition? Why do the changes in demand and supply occur?

3. Is it possible to explain stagflation situations considering an expectations-augmented Phillips curve?

4. Financial market prices are much too volatile, for financial markets to be efficient. Comment.

5. In what circumstances might a marketing firm use a concentrated marketing strategy? Illustrate your answer with examples.

6. How might pricing strategies and tactics change over the lifecycle of a product? 7. Consider the table below.

GDP per hour worked relative to the USA (level in USA=100)

Regions 1950 1973

Western Europe 46 70

Southern Europe 23 44

Source: Charles Feinstein, Peter Temin, Gianni Toniolo, “Epilogue: The past and the present” in The European Economy Between the Wars, Oxford University Press, 1997

In the context of the Post-Second World War period, how do you explain the performance of the two European regions in terms of productivity relative to the USA’s?

Useful site for examples of short answers & an essay. The site includes tutors’ comments but

uses different terminology to talk about the answers.

http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/archive/lse_writing/welcome.htm

Useful site for typical phrases in academic English

http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/

Dissertations

Useful site for academic writing. Although it says reports, a lot is useful for dissertations.

http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/writing-for-university/report-writing/

http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/archive/lse_writing/welcome.htm

http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/

http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/writing-for-university/report-writing/


30

7. A escrita no local do trabalho a. Correspondência

Why write a letter or email when you can use the phone or meet face-to-face? There are a

number of reasons for using a written medium of communication. Most important are:

1. Written communication can formalise ideas. A well written letter or email needs a

clear structure; and a clear structure needs a systematic and logical development. So

writing helps to clarify thoughts.

2. Letters and emails can simplify ideas. The process of drafting a letter can reduce ideas

to short, simple and essential information.

3. Letters and emails project an organisation’s image – through the logo, the writer’s

styel and the appearance of the document.

4. Letters and emails are tangible. They are a written record of a message transmitted by

the writer. They are also more permanent than a phone call.

In summary, we can say that a letter is the appropriate medium:

1. When immediate feedback isn’t needed or isn’t possible, e.g. when inviting comments

on a proposal.

2. When personal contact isn’t needed or isn’t possible, e.g. when confirming an

appointment made by phone.

3. When a written record is needed, either as a permanent record or as a symbol of the

company’s image, e.g. a proposal

4. When you are not sure you can contact the right person by phone or the right person

is difficult to get hold of.

5. When a large number of standard messages need to be transmitted, e.g. a mailshot.

So, what are the element of effective letter and email writing?

1. Good practice: the need for good physical presentation and layout.

2. Clear objectives: why are you writing the letter or email? What has caused the

letter/email to be written? What results do you want from the letter/email?

3. The message: the need for the right information in clear language and appropriate

style.

4. Anticipation of the likely result: how do you expect the reader to react?

5. An action plan: do you have a procedure for follow-up?

Source: Language reference for business English: Grammar, functions and communication skills, by Nick

Brieger & Jeremy Comfort, New York: Prentice Hall International, 1992. p 202 (adapted)


31

Emails

1. Write a meaningful & informative subject line.

2. Keep the message focussed and short.

a. Greet your reader (salutation)

b. Identify yourself*

c. Acknowledge previous correspondence*

d. State the (motivation*) and purpose (why you are writing)

e. Elaborate (details about purpose)

f. Indicate follow up action steps/polite ending and/or close

g. Include signature line, [company*] & contact details

3. Respect social relations in language (informal «» formal).

4. Keep the layout clear.

a. Short paragraphs

b. Blank line between paragraphs

c. Avoid fancy typefaces

5. Proof-read for spelling, grammar & punctuation.

Stages marked * are optional and depend on the particular socio-cultural context of the email.

Exercise 7.1

Identify the different stages of the email below.

Subject: confirmation order ABCD/34/09-10

Dear Sir or Madam

With reference to your letter dated 26th

March, I want to confirm the Order No. ABCD/34/09-10 placed by our purchasing department. The order was given on 3

rd March, 2010.

As far as the payment is concerned, I would appreciate if you could send me the account details where the payment has to be made. As per the invoice, we are entitled to a cash discount of 2% if the payment is done within 30 days from the date of invoice.

For your reference I am also sending the purchase order details as an attachment. This will help you in determining the amount which needs to be deposited in the account. Can you please let us know whether it suits you if we make a wire transfer instead of a DD or a cheque?

Please contact me, if you have any query.

Yours faithfully,

Thanks.

G.B.Shaw

Account Manager, Oxford Book Store Ltd.

(222) 123 – 4567

E-mail: [email protected]

Source: http://www.sampleemails.org/sample-business-email-2.html#iiHtzkBll738wcGw.99


32

Exercise 7.2

Rewrite the following emails received by the English teacher from students. Choose language

selections that reflect the socio-cultural context. Add any essential information that is missing.

Improve the layout if necessary.

a.

Subject: Notes

Hello Ann

I wanna now why my note of the ER exame was not released? there is nothing in

front of my name! What was my note?

Best regards

b. Context information: there are three different shifts for English 1.

Subject: Schedule Issues

Good morning,

I'm attending English I classes at ISEG and I'm writing this e-mail to know if I am able to attend other classes lectures because I'm currently working until the end of the month and it's becoming an issue to conciliate both. I've already wrote an e-mail to the school explaining the situation but I would like they told me to talk to the teacher to see if there is no problem with this.

Sincerely,

Exercise 7.3

You are doing your masters dissertation and in your readings have come across several

references to an article published in an obscure journal that you cannot find on-line. Write an

email to the author of the article, requesting her to send you a copy of the article in question.

The bibliographic reference of the article is:

Henshall, A.C. 2012. ‘English as an International Language and language policies in Economics

journals’. Anglo-Saxónica. Series III. Nr. 4: 131-162.

The author’s email is: [email protected]

Letters

The material for letters (pp 33, 34) was originally published in Language reference for business

English: Grammar, functions and communication skills, by Nick Brieger & Jeremy Comfort, New

York: Prentice Hall International, 1992. Pp 204-205.

b. Papel vs email

Exercise 7.4.

How does the layout and structure of a letter on paper differ from that of an email?


33

The second paragraph gives the real reason for writing

A letter of request (on paper)

SC

Softchain Ltd (Head Office), Foss House, Brigham Street, Liverpool L13 4AT

Tel: 051-387 6397 Fax: 051-387 9284

Compact Systems Your ref: 96 Rosewall Drive Our ref: Inq.B7693 Southtown SO3 4BT 5 April 19— Dear Sirs We recently attended the Software Trade Exhibition in Bath, and were impressed by the range of software available through your company.

We are a large chain of business software retailers and are looking for a software house which could supply us with a range of business applications programs.

As we usually place large orders, we would expect a quantity discout in addition to a 20 p.c. trade discount off net list prices. Our terms of payment are normally 30 days after receipt of invoice.

If these conditions are of interest to you, we would be much obliged if you could send us your current catalogue and price list.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully

pp. Pat Miles

P. Barker Purchasing Manager


Brieger & Jeremy Comfort, New York: Prentice Hall International, 1992. p 204.

The letterhead includes the

name and address of the

sender

The addressee The sender’s

reference The date

The greeting (where the addressee’s name is not known)

The first paragraph says why you are writing, what motivates you to write the letter

The final paragraph is a polite

ending

The farewell (after Dear Sirs)

The signature

The person writing the letter

The writer’s position in the company

pp. means that Pat Miles signed the letter for P. Barker


34

A letter of reply (on paper)

_____________________________Compact Systems______________________________

96 ROSEWALL DREIVE, SOUTHTOWN, SO3 4BT TEL: 0927 423845 FAX: 0927 423617

Mr P. Barker Your ref: Inq. B7693 Purchasing Manager Our ref: AE/677 Softchain Ltd Foss House Bigham Street Liverpool L13 4AT

Dear Mr Barker,

Thank you for your letter of 5 April 19—in which you asked for dtails of our range of business

applications programs.

Because of the low price of our software, we do not normally offer a quantity discount;

however, if you can give me an indication of the quantity involved, I would be happy to discuss

terms further with you. Normally, we would be happy to offer you a 20 p.c. grade discount off

net list prices, as requested in your letter, and to accept your terms of payment.

I am enclosing a copy of our most recent catalogue, which gives details of our product range,

together with list prices. I hope that the information will be of interet to you, and look forward

to discussing orders in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

pp. Hilary Beacham

Alice Everett Marketing Manager

Encl. Compact catalogue, trade price list


Brieger & Jeremy Comfort, New York: Prentice Hall International, 1992. p 205.

The addressee’s reference

The greeting (when the addressee’s name is known)

The farewell (after a named addressee)

The enclosed documents

‘Encl.’ Means enclosure(s)


35

c. Reports

Useful website for exercises

https://inglescomercial.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/writing-reports-interactive-exercise/

Reports are nearly always written to solve a business problem. Reports maybe commissioned because there is a crisis or they may be routine.

Title Page This should include the title of the report (which should give a precise indication of the subject matter), the author’s name, module, course and the date.

Executive Summary

This should be a short paragraph summarizing the main contents of the report. It should include a short statement of the main task, the methods used, conclusions reached and recommendations. The abstract or summary should be concise, informative and independent of the report. Write this section after you have written the report.

Introduction The introduction comes next. It prepares the reader by giving background on the subject, explaining the method by which you arrived at your findings, defining technical terms if necessary, and/or explaining limitations. Generally, the more widely a report is to be circulated, the lengthier the introduction.

Body/Discussion Your findings will be in the body of the report. The way you organize the sequence of ideas will depend on the subject and your purpose. There are a number of ways in which results can be presented: tables, graphs, pie charts, bar charts, and diagrams.

Conclusions The main issues are outlined in this section. It should be expressed clearly and should not present any new information. Do not include diagrams or graphs in this area.

Recommendations You may wish to list your recommendations in a separate section or include them with the conclusions.

References It is important that you give precise details of all the work by other authors that has been referenced in the report.

Learning and Development © 2010 University of Victoria https://www.uvic.ca/hr/assets/docs/ld/self-learning-guides/report-proposal-writing.pdf

Exercise 7.5.

Write the phrases from the box into the most appropriate section below. Some may appear in more than one section.

The purpose of this report is to …

Overproduction is an ongoing problem.

This report sets out to establish …

A solution to the problem would be …

Graph 1 shows …

This report responds to the board’s request for …

It is important to … as soon as possible.

The work for this report was carried out in the context of …

Customer feedback is currently assessed by …

Table 3 shows the results of a survey about …

The best course of action would be to …

The marketing department should implement …

This report will consider the following …

Transport costs have increased more than 15%.

The results show that the company is losing market share.

Introduction Findings Conclusions Recommendations

https://inglescomercial.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/writing-reports-interactive-exercise/


36

Exercise 7.6.

For each of the following report briefs, identify:

who the audience is;

why the report is needed;

what the audience wants to find out.

1. Report for the charity “Greenpeace” on the use of Facebook amongst 18-25 year olds as a

means of social action and protest.

2. Investigate the use of Facebook as a means of social action and protest by 18-25 year

olds. This report has been commissioned by the Metropolitan police.

3. Report commissioned by the Municipal Council of Lisbon on parking in the Baixa area of

Lisbon.

4. Report for the Associação de Comerciantes de Lisboa on parking in the Baixa area of

Lisbon.

5. Report on the recycling practices of households in Lisbon. The report has been

commissioned by the Municipal Council of Lisbon.

6. Investigate the recycling practices of households in Lisbon. The report has been

commissioned by a paper and plastic recycling firm.

Exercise 7.7.

Scan the relevant sections of the report Industry as a partner for sustainable development:

Tourism and answer the questions that follow.

http://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/WSSD-tourism.pdf

1. Who prepared the report?

2. What names does it give for the introduction and conclusions?

3. What is the rationale behind the names for the sections in the body of the report?

4. Does it include recommendations?

5. What is the purpose of the report? Why was it commissioned?

6. What style of language is used? personal «» impersonal; everyday «» technical;

concrete «» abstract.

http://www.gdrc.org/uem/eco-tour/WSSD-tourism.pdf


37

Reports often include lists, which may be numbered or use bullets. When writing lists, each item should be presented in the same grammatical form. For example:

Information should be concise; (impersonal advice)

Spelling and punctuation must be checked. (impersonal advice) not

Information should be concise; (impersonal advice)

Check spelling and punctuation. (direct instruction for advice)

Exercise 7.8.

Rewrite the following lists so that the grammatical form is consistent.

1. The choice of the project's name - "Maritime Traffic Technology: The Integrity of E-Navigation" – already illustrates the three main research and development activities:

(1) The integrity of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and their supplementary services

(2) Multi-sensor based unit for on-board determination of position, navigation and timing (PNT Unit)

(3) How to monitor and assess the traffic situation Source: http://www.dlr.de/kn/en/Portaldata/27/Resources/dokumente/04_abteilungen_nas/MVT-Final-Report(Final).pdf (adapted)

2. Several activities might come under local responsibility:

Organising waste collection and disposal services or water supply and sewage (Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Russian Federation).

To maintain and operate waste or water treatment facilities (Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey).

Setting the tariffs for payment of these local services (Bulgaria, Latvia, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine).

Approving the rules and plans to organise the service in compliance with applicable legislation (Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, Latvia,).

The issue of permits (Czech Republic).

All of these activities (Denmark, Finland, Netherlands). Source : https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?p=&id=1364497&direct=true (adapted)

3. The main areas of local responsibility examined reveal certain trends concerning the nature and frequency of the relationships between central and local authorities:

Legislation and setting of criteria is a central (State/regional) responsibility.

Funding is, in many cases, a central responsibility, although municipalities can raise taxes and there is joint-funding for some issues.

Supervision of legality is also a central (State/regional) responsibility and there are frequent budgetary compliance controls.

Central performance controls in shared responsibilities.

Mandatory consultation with municipality associations in relation to local statutes, budgets and other significant issues concerning local responsibilities exist in most States.

Formal consultation structures (general or sectoral) in many member states to facilitate interlocution in those areas.

De-concentrated central bodies usually in charge of information and supervision interactions.

Source : https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?p=&id=1364497&direct=true (adapted)

http://www.dlr.de/kn/en/Portaldata/27/Resources/dokumente/04_abteilungen_nas/MVT-Final-Report(Final).pdf

http://www.dlr.de/kn/en/Portaldata/27/Resources/dokumente/04_abteilungen_nas/MVT-Final-Report(Final).pdf

https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?p=&id=1364497&direct=true

https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?p=&id=1364497&direct=true

written communication 2018-2019 docente: ann henshall

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